great white

I have fitted a lowrance 5000c this year and am very pleased with it so far Charlie

Adam if you want to come out one evening we can have a trip and show you the tank Weather not good this week and I am away on Sunday perhaps one night next week Chat on Tursday Charlie

Adam the problem with braid is that splicing is tricky and needs a special tool. while 3 strand is easy to splice and cheap, polyprop is also nice and soft. and it comes in blue to match your hull if you want to be posh like gary. Charlie

Adam I have a cut down blue tank, but have never gone the whole way with a deck wash I use a cheap 12volt bilge pump with 3/4" discharge pipe the wires have been extended and connected to a plug, which can use one of several switched sockets on the boat [fitted for this and extra lighting.] the pump is connected to about 8ft of pipe, the cable is clipped to the pipe, then the end away from the pump is attached around the inside of the top of the tank. It has a bung in the end and several 1/4" holes drilled in it facing down into the tank. 3/4 the way up the tank a skin fitting has been attached tail outside and with a fine mesh over it to keep the eels in, another the same size has been fitted through the hull on the stbd side at a matching height. [these are 1" to give a good flow overboard] when i want to use the tank, it is moved into place, a short length of hose fitted between the two skin fitting tails. Connect to electric, toss the bilge pump end overboard and turn on. the tank fills with clean sea water up to the overflow great at anchor and when drifting. if the tide is strong I attach a weight to the pump. When underway lift the pump onboard and drop it in the tank to recycle the water. This system is not as good as a deckwash, but has served me for years. Ow Much has a simular set up but has the tank higher and a pipe over the side so does not need the hull skin fitting. Providing not to much bait is added and it does not get left on recycle for to long the bait will stay alive all day. I have had live mackeral in it all day as long as no blood goes into the water and no more than about 10 are in it. if they die take them straight out It works for bass fisherman in the channel islands and for me and is not expensive to set up. I have matched the pump to the one fitted on the boat so it would make a spare if required and I stow clean gear in the tub at the end of the day to stop it rolling around the boat. Nice to swap these sort of things on the forum Tight lines Charlie

Nice to see some decent results considering the windy weather. After a very busy weekend socialising with a mate who is emigrating to New Zealand tomorrow and another mates 50th birthday Party on Sat, we were running late when Sam announced that he was to tired and went back to bed. Although Daniel and I were tired we decided to give it a go, a few mackeral in swanage bay saw us anchoring one of the banks, unfortunatly the combination of to much wind, to much party food and not enough sleep got to Dan very quickly and he was soon feeling very ill. We moved inshore and to several marks but only managed wrasse and more wrasse. Two bad results on the trot has made it very hard for me this year in this comp. but the boys will still be keen to try harder on the next one. Can I remind you all that I have to send the results to the BFM within 7 days and I must have 12 entry's so even if your day was as bad as mine let me know how you got on. Charlie

I was out yesterday [Wednesday] where were you lot. Seriously we had a boat break her swinging mooring so had to go out to tow her free, using our 2 18ft open workboats, winds about 50 knots. Face full of salty sea spray every 15 seconds lovely. I was thinking of your photo's James, the waves in the harbour were 4 to 5 feet and that was enough. focused the mind a bit. Charlie

Glad you got out of your close call OK Paul. The last two close calls I have had with Yachts, have both been with French boats. and both this month. I am sure that they did not understand all of what I was yelling at them as they sailed straight at my boat at anchor. but I am also sure the hand signals were clear enough. I think I may resort to the old handfull of mackerel heads in the sails next time. Yachty's would hate that as much as we hate being run down at anchor. Charlie

I certainly do Bob

Hi all, Had another encounter with a dive boat over a wreck yesterday. I had taken Wendy and the boys out to a wreck 10 miles out to try again for a couple of eels for the boys. Although the forecast gave a breeze and some late rain the weather was good for the trip out and we arrived in good spirits. After a couple of drifts I anchored uptide and got three rods out to fish slack water. just as we started a Poole Dive charter boat came steaming up. I was hoping that he was just on route to wrecks in the area but he stopped and started to prep his divers. I started politly asking the skipper to pick another wreck, and even sarcastically asking him if he would like some numbers to choose from. all of which fell on deaf ears. I then noticed that our boat had moved during the debate and I had missed it. I thought that as 8 divers were about to enter the wreck I had better move to another, but Sods Law as usual came in to play and the anchor was in the wreck. Trying to bounce it out with the dive boat and a shot buoy from the dive boat in the way was tricky to say the least. So much so that after bending the front of my Stb'd pushpit rail and swearing a fair bit I still remained anchored into the rusty bit. The dive boat came over to check if he could help. I then had to start eating a large portion of Humble Pie and ask him for assistance. I tied a fender to my warp above the alderney ring and cut it free. We then spent a long hour or so in increasing winds and waves drifting around the area waiting to see if they had got the anchor out. Of course we had to wait for the divers to be clear of the wreck before trying to lift my Hook. even though divers are a pain I would not like to harm one while retrieving the anchor. The skipper eventually gave me the good news on the VHF that the anchor had been moved inshore of the wreck and his divers were clear. A very quick pull under the alderney ring and all was onboard. After a brief thank you to the divers [ through gritted teeth] GW departed back to her mooring. 6 hours at sea, 15 mins fishing at anchor and two drifts 1 dogfish and 1 Mackerel. The kids did not seem to mind even though Daniel was feeling a bit rough and had a kip, but her ladyship was not impressed. I could see all the hard earned browny points dissapearing faster than they came. What a way to spend fathers day Wendy said see was still rolling at tea time. Lol Can laugh about it now, but I still have to go onboard and splice up the anchor warp raedy for the weekend. I hope others enjoyed there fishing at the weekend. Charlie

They make good photo's but in my experiance are far from nice. Its been over 20 years since I was last in that sort of weather [RN destroyer in South Atlantic] but I still remember it very well. Tryig to work when all you want to do is curl up and sleep is not good Charlie

Now James don't you go catching too many of those Big Bass or we will all be Sick With envy of course. Hope the throat recovers quickly tight lines Charlie

I think I suggested earlier in the year that you may want to take a look at Selsy area> When I lived in Pompey it was always a great venue at this time of year. usually much better than the Nab I have just picked up the latest Sea Angler and see a very good article giving a break down of the 10 best marks. that sort of info may make a trip to the area more interesting to you. It was always worth a trip for Big Bass smoothies and Tope. You need the weather to be fairly kind, and have a choice of where to launch from. either Langstone Harbour slip that you were going to use earlier in the Year, or slips on the other end of Hayling Island. I may be up for joining you if there is space on one of your boats, but that depends on when you are going. Tight lines Charlie

Was that a Charter trip Rich ?? Or should I be putting some more fish in the book? Charlie

Some interesting points I find that looking through the glass makes it harder ,but the worse thing is the amount of lights that take away night vision. I have my electronics set dim and deck lights off, but the reflection off the pushpit from the nav lights does not help. when I used to go further up the harbour at night I used to turn electronics off and use night vision and background light to see the way through the buoys it seemed easier that way. Charlie

Who knows how SA look at the winners? Answers on a post card please?????? The Kids have caught some cracking fish that have been added months later and win an ABU Cap, But see that the winner was a tiny kid with a fish that they could not have caught without help, or a nice picture of a kid holding a dead fish ashore that is not even a specimen. You would think that the Editor would have some system or formula but I think it just depends how they feel on the day. I should not really gripe to much as I won a reel from them on the Mission accomplished for a 55lb Conger, It was obviously a slow month [Feb 2002] Hard Luck Rich Still a great fish mate Charlie

I would still contact the Mag and ask if a Fish Caught then Weighed onboard and photographed prior to return can be entered. You have witnesses so I see no reason why you should not try Charlie

Nice one Paul Thanks for the Photo's Can you get rid of the old one? If its not to difficult Cheers Charlie

Perhaps its time to spread the load a bit Bob and ask James or Rich to do one on Bass. It looks like they already have the photo's and I think that the methods in Alderney and on the Ledge would be totally differant. so thats 2 methods covered. Just a thought Charlie

Hi Paul Any chance of updating the boat pictures with some of the ones taken for the BFM article. The picture of my boat on the site is awful Thanks Charlie

Well done all for organising the comp Some nice fish were caught and I will add them to the book tonight when I see the full results list. Then I will send the results to the BFM for the suzuki comp. Nice Bass JP a Cracking couple of Tope, with Tom's just pipping Pete's Several nice Rays were caught The best being Duncans 14lb Undulate Humphrey and Neil had a couple of nice Blondes 20 and 21lb's And while on the subject of blondes Helen had a very good smoothound, nice one girl still showing Paul how easy it is then. We went out into the chop on Friday night to Swanage, only small wrasse and mackeral in the bay. As dark approched we moved out to the whitehouse grounds, Sam had an Undulate of 13lb 8oz, Daniel had a Pout of 2lb 8oz and I had LSD to 2lb 8oz after midnight I managed 1 eel of 29lb before we called it a night. Back out early on Sunday, started badly when I could not find a wreck given to me by divers last week on OSBG36 numbers. ( I had converted them on the BSAC site ) but it is small and I could not find it, I have a choice of 5 OSGB 36 on the Lowrance and did not know which one to pick, Any Ideas???? We changed plans and ran to the banks, Sam had a small Blonde of 10lb As the tide was raelly running on the ebb we tried Dancing Ledge with no Luck then went out to a wreck on the end of St Albans Ledge. There were so many pout that we could not keep a bait on the wreck for more than about a minute before they ripped it up. a small bait lasted seconds, the pout were to big for bait and to small to record most about 2lb. We baited with them to make the baits last. Sam hooked a few large fish that either got back to the wreck or came off 1/2 way up. the cause was probably small eels and large baits . eventually at the start of the flood we had one of 19lb Nice day to be out, shame that more big fish did not appear. I had told the boys that I did not think it was worth targeting Tope or Bass because of the specimen weight for these species, 1st a Bass 2nd a Tope shows what I know Charlie

Nice one James and a great start to the 48hr comp well done for returning them, I must come over and fish your way before the Bream Go. I will add all the fish at the end when the comp committee give me the results I expect by now you have had loads more. Sorry for the sluggish response this morning on the mobile, but I did not get to bed before 2.30 We too had been chasing the nocturnal fish. Charlie

John please check that the Ray was a Blonde and resubmit the report. 100% sure it was not a small eyed. Have you a photo? Nice fish, we had better get the species right. Charlie

The boys are up for it So thats Me Sam and Daniel Can I pay on Sunday? We hope to venture out this evening and another trip probably on Sunday. Charlie

I agree with you mike about the killing of fish that are not wanted for the table just to weigh them ashore. This is what is required for a national record claim, I know people who would rather put a record fish back. My Mate Spike Spears caught a british record smoothy, on Bessie Vee while filming John Wilsons Go Fishing. It was well over the record size [28lb +] but went back in after a few pictures. I bet Spike enjoyed the fight though. and the Tope record has been beaten several times. Well done those anglers I say. Our Club does not require any fish to be killed, we will accept weights taken onboard and reported to me prior to or at the next monthly meeting. The Club and its fish recorders log book is run on trust. The one thing we ask is that if a fish is being recorded it is weighed and not estimated, if the fish is to be returned please handle them gently and return ASAP to minimise stress to the fish Charlie

Thanks Paul Martins advice works when I have finished reading all the posts. But when there are loads and I have only read a few it is better when the ones read are easily recognisable Any good tips? Keep them simple, Ta Charlie